Karma
by Lara140112
Summary: 'This had to be Karma, the universe's idea of a joke.' Teddy thought to himself. Seven years on from his 'teenage rebellion' Teddy Lupin finds himself faced with a new set of confrontations. This is a sequel to a previously published story of mine called Teenage Rebellion, but it can stand alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Karma**

 **Chapter 1**

It was a peaceful afternoon in Godric's Hollow, and the sun stood high over the back garden of the Potter cottage.

Teddy Lupin had apparated straight onto the back porch. He was surprised not to find anyone outside, but looking at the yellow grass withering in the afternoon sun, he guessed that they had all taken refuge from the heat. He stepped inside kitchen and was greeted by the pleasant sensation of a cooling charm. His godparents were sitting at the kitchen table sipping lazily at some chilled drinks.

"Hi Ted, good to see you," Harry greeted him rising from his seat.

"Thank you for coming over. We really appreciate it. I'm not quite ready to leave those three in charge of the house. I hope Victoire didn't give you a hard time for ruining your weekend," Ginny added.

"Actually, she's at a wedding in France, and she seemed rather relieved that I couldn't come. I have the feeling she doesn't quite trust me with her Veela cousins. So really, you're quite welcome. This should make a nice change from the weekends at the Auror department," Teddy answered, throwing his godfather a pointed look, but Harry only raised his eyebrows in an amused mock-stern fashion.

"Come now, you do volunteer for most of it. Right, we should be off. I've made dinner reservations in Venice."

Harry peeked his head into the room, where James, Lily and Albus had settled enjoying cool air from a muggle fan.

"All right you three, your mum and I are off. Please behave, Teddy's in charge and we'll see you Sunday evening."

With that he turned back to his wife, who spoke to Teddy.

"There is plenty of food in the fridge. I made some stew for tonight. There's money on the table if you need to get anything. Please remember to water the flowers. And if there's any emergency - "

"He'll send a Patronus or contact Ron & Hermione. He's babysat before Gin, it will be fine," Harry interrupted her rant and grabbed her hand to lead her out of the house.

When the final goodbyes had echoed through the hall, Teddy made his way to the living room. The bag for the weekend gliding to the ground, he leaned in the frame of the door.

"Hi, guys," he greeted his siblings.

Lily and James were sitting in one corner playing chess, while Al lounged on the couch engrossed in a book. All three had looked up when Teddy had spoken.

"Teddy," Lily squealed excitedly, "you'll be playing chess with me, won't you? I'll beat you this time!"

He smiled at the 12-year-old, who had just finished her first-year at Hogwarts.

"Sure, we'll give it a go when you're finished with Jamie."

As if on cue, James rose from his seat tossing his king over and thus declared defeat. Then he strode out of the room pausing a second in the door frame next to Teddy, but brushed past him without a word and went straight upstairs.

"What's up with him?" Teddy asked.

"That's normal now. Dad says all 15-year-olds are like that. He threatened should I be the same, he'll shut me in my room from one birthday to the next."

Albus had inherited his father's dry sense of humour and Teddy couldn't help but smile at his comment.

"So they really deserve the weekend off then."

"Mum says Dad works longer nowadays to avoid coming home," Lily piped in.

"Ah, come on guys, it can't be that bad," Teddy replied.

 _And really, how bad could it be compared to what they had dealt with from him at James' age?_ , he thought to himself.

Lily's immediate insistence that they would play chess to show off her new-found skill, shut down any opportunity for Ted to linger on that thought, and after two games of chess he had to admit that Lily had become rather good. He had won the two games, but she had put him in a tight spot several times. Now, well into the third game they had both lost a fair share of pieces. Strained, Teddy stared at the chess board, but to no avail. He didn't see it coming, and Lily smirked as she made her move.

"Check, dear brother. There's no way out of it. Got ya."

Teddy blinked and looked at the board from all angles, but she was right. His king was trapped. Lily had beat him, little sweet Lily, always the pet of the family and the one who had made him feel most part of the family. After all, he had already lived at the house when she was born, so for Lily there had never been a question that he was her big brother. And now, his little sister had outsmarted him.

With a great feeling of pride, he shattered his king and gave a small bow to her.

"Well done! I give it to you, I didn't see that coming one bit."

"She has been playing all the time ever since she got the set for Christmas," Albus chipped in, "her goal is to beat Uncle Ron, but I told her to get more practise. He never plays without a price, and for most it's suicide."

Ted nodded, "That's true, you better be ready for him. Last time I played him was five years ago and I ended up baby-sitting Rose and Hugo for a month. Learnt my lesson from that."

Lily seemed to contemplate the words before she said, "Rose is an angel, and how bad could Hugo have been? Babysitting them must have been a piece of cake."

Teddy scoffed, "Your cousin could drive any sane, patient man into madness with her questions."

Just then the conversation was interrupted by James stomping downstairs. Shooting an annoyed glare around the room, he growled, "Dinner?"

"Oh, he speaks. I didn't think you would grace us with the sound of your voice," Ted answered. Dropping the sarcasm, Teddy continued with an encouraging smile, "You're right though, it's time for dinner. I'll heat up the stew, and you guys can set the table."

Inwardly he was groaning. If Al was right, and this was James' usual behaviour nowadays, he wasn't sure his patience would last for a full weekend.

...

Saturday afternoon Teddy finally managed to pry James from his room for longer than mealtime. It had taken the bribe of flying in the back garden, but there really was no harm in that Teddy had decided..

After two hours in the air, they were sweaty and exhausted. Teddy hoped James was in a better mood after the exhiliartion and excercise. Touching down, Ted stood next to the younger boy who was already heading inside following Al & Lily. Catching him by the wrist, Ted held the sulky teenager back.

"What do you want?" James asked glancing from the hand on his wrist to his godbrother.

"Well first of all, what the hell did I do? Or do you act like this around the clock now?"

James shrugged shaking off the loose hold Ted had on him, "Whatever. Can I go now?"

James made to turn, but before he could do so Teddy grabbed him gently by the shoulders.

"Listen Jamie, I'm not your dad. Fifteen wasn't that long ago for me, and hell yes, I do remember how it felt. If you want to sulk and pout in your room, be my guest. Just please, don't do something rash and stupid. I know what I'm talking about, and I don't want you to get hurt."

James yanked himself free, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, I won't do something stupid. Are you happy? Can I go now?"

Realising that he probably wouldn't get through to the teenager, Ted just sighed and nodded. He tried hard to remember seven years ago, when he had been in his 'terrible year' as Harry referred to it now. Teddy cringed at the thought. That summer hadn't been easy. He had constantly felt angry for no reason, exploded at every small incident, and then felt guilty for it all. He had only come around after a lot of lectures, rows and hurting from both him and his godfather. Ted knew that he had made stupid choices back then. Maybe James would get his act together before things got messy. At least, with the experience from back then Harry had laid down the rules with James as soon as the teenage tantrums had started. Teddy hoped and prayed that his brother wouldn't repeat his own mistakes.

Apparently his prayers went unheard, because when dinner was over that night, and Teddy proposed a movie night in front of the telly, only two of his siblings were excited about the idea. James on the other hand quickly excused himself stating that he would go for a walk to get some fresh air.

"Hey, you've been out all afternoon," Ted reasoned but James was already halfway out the door. "Don't stay out late," he shouted after Jamie, who simply left without a reply.

Turning back to Al & Lily, Teddy sighed, "Well, that leaves us three for a fun night. You go get the popcorn, while I set up the telly."

Two hours later the living room was a perfect family picture. Albus was curled up in the armchair and Ted sat on the couch with Lily curled up next to popcorn bowl sat empty on the coffee table as the movie credits rolled on the screen.

"Right you two, time for bed," Teddy said and sat up a bit, prompting Lily to right herself as well.

"But Jamie isn't even home yet," Albus replied, stretching in his chair.

"Yes, and he should know better than to stay out after curfew. That's no reason for you to get sleep deprived though."

Al scowled, but moved towards the stairs following his quiet and tired sister.

Ted, however, wasn't as relaxed as he pretended to be. It was now quarter past ten and well beyond the teenager's curfew. The young Auror contemplated informing his godparents, but decided against it. Knowing Harry, they would return home immediately, and Teddy really wanted them to have their well-deserved weekend off.

Ted made the decision to at least wait until midnight with the hope that James would be home by then. Sick with worry Ted paced up and down the living room, before grabbing the empty popcorn bowl off the table and taking it to the kitchen. Placing it in the sink, he heard a dull sound outside. He frowned, leaned forward to look out the window and squintted at the darkness. Suddenly,he could make out a person in the darkness of the back garden.

 _That couldn't be ... he wouldn't ..._

Angry thoughts entered his head and were quickly confirmed as James stumbled through the door with his broom in his hand.

At that moment, Teddy snapped.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you know what time it is?"

There was no response from the wind-swept teenager. As Ted stepped closer he noticed a very distinct smell.

"Are you drunk? You smell like a liquor cabinet."

Again, there was no reply, so now Teddy started to worry. Then with dread, he realised that James had just gotten a shade paler and started gagging.

"Oh heck no, Jamie, not here. Let's get you to the bathroom."

He ushered the younger boy towards the stairs, unfortunately they only managed to get to the front step when James suddenly threw up.

"Jamie please, we need to get to the bathroom."

As they made their way along the landing, Albus must have been alarmed by the noise and peeked out of his room.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing, go back to bed please." He replied hastily.

Teddy finally managed to get James into the bathroom. The fifteen year old was now miserably kneeling on the floor holding on to the toilet for dear life. Ted had lowered himself to the ground next to his godbrother when he noticed two figures by the door.

"Is he alright?" Lily asked concerned.

"He will be. You two should be off to bed. It's late," Teddy answered with his focus only shifting for a split second.

"But what about Jamie, he ..." Albus started arguing, however Teddy had no patience for him now.

"Go to bed, Al. I'm not telling you again." The young man ordered in a clipped voice, and it finally had the desired result. Albus disappeared to his room leaving Ted to turn his attention back to the boy crouched in front of the toilet. He continued rubbing James's back in soothing circles, waiting for the vomiting to stop.

When James had finally emptied his stomach, hot tears were running down his face from the exhaustion of throwing up. Teddy had to help the shaking boy up as he spoke to him in a soothing voice.

"Let's get you to bed, alright? You'll feel better once you lie down."

With Ted's support James got into his room, where he slumped on the bed and was out cold the moment he touched the pillow. Sighing, Ted undressed the boy he considered his brother and tucked the uncooperative teenager in. He then studied the nearly unconscious body. He couldn't leave him on his own like this. In the first aid healing course he had taken at the Auror Academy, they had taught him the risks of leaving an alcoholised person unsupervised, and there was no way he could conjure the extensive monitoring charms that the ministry holding cells offered for such occasions.

With that in mind, Teddy only left for a moment to clean up the earlier incident. Downstairs, he also searched for a sober-up potion, but to no avail. Resigning himself to a sleepless night, he returned to the armchair in James' room to watch the younger boy in his sleep.

* * *

 _AN: This is a Sequel to my Story Teenage Rebellion. It does make sense to read that first, but it's not a must. This story is about 15.000 words long and will be split over several chapters posted every week or so. It's all written, so no super long waits. Feedback, constructive criticism and reviews in general are always welcome._

 ** _A big thank you goes to 4fan .ci for beta-reading this story and making a big improvement on grammar & style._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was well past midnight when Teddy finally fell into slumber on the armchair in James' room, and with the first lights of the day he was awake again. James was still asleep, but breathing evenly and so checking the clock, Ted decided to get some sleep in his own bed.

Just a few hours later he stumbled into the kitchen, and was greeted by the sight of Al & Lily happily eating breakfast.

"Morning sleepyhead. Tea?" Lily greeted him with a steaming mug of hot liquid.

"Thank you," he replied gratefully as he let himself fall into a kitchen chair.

"Rough night, huh?" Al taunted.

"Don't remind me please," Teddy groaned.

"Oh, are you back to barking orders at me?" Al challenged causing Teddy to wince guiltily.

"I'm sorry about that. I was panicking, and I needed to concentrate on Jamie."

Al nodded at the apology and then asked, "So what did the git get up to last night?" .

"That's your brother you're talking about, and it's none of your business," the young man admonished lightly, but caved in under his siblings expectant looks.

"Fine, I'll tell you. You'll probably find out anyhow, but I don't want either of you bringing this up with Jamie. Your brother came home last night drunk. He had been out flying, I presume with friends. As soon as he came home, he started to be sick. That's why we were crouched on the bathroom floor."

Eyeing the two teenagers, Ted forced his expression to be as stern as he could master.

"What James did yesterday was foolish, reckless and incredibly dangerous. Not to forget that it's against the law. Don't ever do something like that. Promise me not to put yourself in danger like that, and I swear I buy you your first drink on your 17th birthday and make sure you get home safely."

Al and Lily shot each other a look. Rarely did they see Teddy so serious, and it made them quickly nod in response.

The three of them were still sitting around the table when James emerged about half an hour later. There was a red line on his cheek, his hair stuck unruly in all directions. All in all he looked pretty miserable.

Fidgeting before the table, James feebly said, "Good morning."

"Good morning, take a seat and have some toast," Teddy instructed and then turned to Albus and Lily.

"Why don't you two get lost for a while? Go out or find something else to do."

Taking the very obvious hint, the two youngest Potter children quickly left for the garden, both of them truly happy not to be in their brother's shoes.

Nervously, James buttered some toast under his godbrother's unrelenting gaze. Ted could see that the teenager was trembling, but James decided not to address the elephant in the room and instead went for the leftover bacon.

"No, no bacon for you this morning. I don't want a repeat of last night," Ted grabbed the plate and handed James a potion instead.

"Take this and then have some toast and water. It will get rid of the headache, so you're attentive when I start yelling at you."

James gulped the potion and proceeded to eat in total silence. When he finally finished his last bite of toast, his eyes met Ted's and the young Auror decided it was time to break the silence.

"Now, would you care to tell me what possessed you to come home last night drunk as a sailor? And on your broom nonetheless. Flying drunk! Do you have some sort of death wish? Because that is what could have happened. Merlin James, do you use that brain of yours at all?"

James flinched from the sharp voice, but Ted's expectant stare demanded an answer.

"I'm sorry. I thought I had it under control."

"Under control? You shouldn't have had one sip and even sober night flying is dangerous. You know it's against the rules, so why?"

"Look, I 'm sorry I did that to you last night, but don't go all mature on me. I get it, drinking is bad, but you're in no position to lecture me."

Irritated, Teddy eyed the boy he had seen grow up over the last years. Despite being mischievous, James usually saw the error of his way after a little lecturing and accepted punishment with dignity. Now, however, he seemed to be hell bent on rebellion.

 _All the more reason to have this talk_ , Teddy decided.

"Do you really get it, James? Are you aware how utterly dangerous your actions were? What the consequences could have been?" he asked in a sharp voice.

"Oh come off it. You're not Dad, so knock it off," James replied with a sneer.

"You're on thin ice here already. Don't push me," Ted's voice had turned eerily quiet, but his eyes betrayed his inner rage. Bravely, or maybe stupidly, James ignored these warning signs completely.

"Stop it, will you?" he scoffed. "Don't act so high and mighty. As if you never were in trouble."

With a bang Ted hit the table and shot up from his chair.

"You're fifteen. Drinking for you is both dangerous and illegal. On duty, I would be obliged to report you. Your behaviour would have disciplinary consequences. Do you fancy some days of arrest? And what exactly do you think would happen when someone finds out that the son of the Head Auror flies around drunk? So instead of throwing your clever remarks at me, you may want to change your tone and be thankful that I'm not reporting you."

There was no denying that Ted was livid. True, at fifteen he had had his first experience with alcohol too, however he hadn't been drunk. He also doubted he would have been stupid enough to backtalk during the more than deserved lecture.

James seemed to have no desire to at least pretend to be contrite. Instead a small smile was forming on his face.

"Are you threatening me? You wouldn't do that, so please spare me the empty promises."

Despite the new challenge, Ted calmly sat back down on his chair and stared at his godbrother opposite him. Since his teenage years Teddy had successfully tamed his temper and for the most part he now strived to imitate his godfather's calm, yet authoritative behaviour. Not only for this did people now often see his father in him. However, once pushed over the edge both his dad and godfather were infamous for their dangerous fury, and unfortunately for James the same was true for Teddy.

His irritation visible in his eyes, the young Auror challenged in a near whisper, "You want to say that again?"

James recoiled under the unforgiving stare, but answered stubbornly, "Look, I said I was sorry. I certainly didn't meant to throw up on you, but like I told you, you're not Dad. Stop acting like it."

"And who am I then?"

The teenager stared at him confused.

"Huh?"

"Who am I to you?"

Teddy's voice didn't portray any emotion, but inside he was trembling. The way James was talking to him hurt. He considered the younger boy his brother, and Ted had to admit to himself that that was why he was so enraged. He had been sick with worry and furious for the stupidity of James' actions. Yet, if James saw him in the same way, would he not at least accept his authority enough to listen to him?

Snapping out of his thoughts, he noticed James still hadn't answered his question, but eyed him cautiously.

"Answer me, James." He demanded with a stern, albeit calm attitude.

"I ..., I'm not sure what you mean. You're my brother Ted, what ..."

"And as your older brother, do I not have the right to reprimand you for your foolish actions? Do I not deserve a bit more respect than you just displayed?"

James lowered his gaze and although he didn't answer, his body language spoke clearly. The message was finally started to sink in. With that knowledge, Teddy stood, walked over to James and grabbed his arm forcing the younger boy out of his chair too.

"Come on, follow me."

James cringed, "What are you doing? Teddy, please ..."

Teddy nearly started laughing at the boy's antics, but forced his expression to be blank. It would do James no harm to worry about his fate for a little while. He led him up the stairs to James' bedroom and told him to sit by his desk, while he grabbed second chair for himself.

A sense of déjà vu hit Teddy as he sat down next to James. This had to be karma, he mused. The universe's idea of a joke. How else was he now sitting in the exact same spot he had occupied seven years ago with reversed roles?

Well, he figured he deserved that. He'd been a prat back then.

Sighing Teddy took out his wand and a second later an old parchment that had been stuck to James' wall, glided on the table.

"Recognise this?"

The boy still looked confused, but answered immediately.

"Dad's rules."

"Exactly, did you know that this exact parchment hang in my room as well?"

Surprised James shook his head.

"So I'm pretty sure he told you the same thing he told me about breaking these rules."

Pointedly James looked away and mumbled, "Breaking them always has consequences."

Taking him by the shoulders, Teddy forced James to look at him again.

"And do you know why, Jamie?"

There was no response, but somehow Ted hadn't expected one.

"Your parents discipline you to make sure you understand that all our actions have consequences. One day, you won't have to answer Mum and Dad anymore, but you'll still be held accountable for your actions. Just then the consequences will be more severe. What I said earlier was no joke. Underage drinking is punishable by up to seven days of arrest and those reports go to the Head of the Auror Department. Dad would have no choice, but to give you the suggested sentence or risk being accused of nepotism."

The lecture must have gotten to James, because although he turned his head away again, Teddy could see tears forming in the teenager's eyes. There finally seemed to be a sense of understanding and regret emanating from James.

Relief entered Teddy's body. This was more like the boy he knew and had grown up with. Yet, the message could surely sink in a bit deeper, he thought as he continued to speak.

"Do you really want to go down that route? Because I don't think you'll like where it leads you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think. I'm so sorry." For the first time today James' apology sounded sincere, and Ted's sternness faded a little. However, he was determined to make a point here. He owed that much to James and to his godparents.

"Did they ever make go through the list and spell out the rules you had broken?" he asked and James shook his head.

"Go figure, well he did that to me more than once. Made me feel rotten, but Harry always said he trusted that I knew what I had done wrong. Well, so do I with you."

Teddy had shoved the parchment closer to James and looked at him expectantly, but the teenager seemed reluctant.

"James Sirius Potter, you tell me you're not a child anymore, so proof to me you're mature enough to acknowledge your mistakes."

Biting his lip, James stared at the paper for a moment, before he hesitantly started talking.

"Number one, it was dangerous to get drunk and then fly intoxicated." James blushed slightly as he spoke and he did not stop to wait for Teddy's response.

"Number four, I shouldn't have been so rude to you. Number six as well, I knew alcohol was off-limits."

"And yet, you decided very deliberately to have quite a bit," Teddy said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," James mumbled in reply and Ted decided that he should probably bring the lecture to an end.

"Right, I hope we are clear that I never want to hear about anything like this again."

James quickly agreed. "Yes, clear - crystal."

Satisfied Ted nodded: "Naturally, I'm going to tell your parents and they'll decide what will happens next. However, I expect you to stay up here in your room until they come home. You can use the time to get started on an essay about the dangers of alcohol. I'm pretty sure Dad would make you write it anyway."

With a quick _accio_ a small stack of leaflets appeared on James' desk. With that Teddy left the teenager to his room, along with the seven-year old brochures, which were about to be put to good use once more.

* * *

AN: Thank you & credit to 4fan .ci for beta-reading. Please feel free to share your views, feedback and criticism in the reviews. Thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was late Sunday evening, and James had spent the entire day in his room. To Teddy's surprise there had been no whining or arguing. Their earlier talk seemed to actually have gotten through to James, at least for now. And so the young Auror enjoyed a relaxing evening in the living room, where Al & Lily were once again playing chess.

Ten minutes later, the quiet was disturbed by the front door opening, and a very relaxed looking Harry and Ginny entered the room.

"Buongiorno bambini." Ginny smiled at them and came to hug one after the other.

Harry smiled fondly at them too, but then realised his oldest was missing from the picture.

"Where's James?" he asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

"In his room," Teddy answered uneasily.

"Oh, is he pouting yet again?" Ginny exclaimed, but Teddy shook his head.

"I wouldn't say that. Could I talk to you guys in the kitchen for a moment?"

They followed him out of the room and from the corner of his eyes Teddy could see his godparents exchange meaningful looks. Eventually Ginny asked, "Just what has he done this time?"

They sat down at the kitchen table, before Teddy started to explain.

"I want James to tell you, but it may be better to give you the facts first, so you don't kill him on the spot."

A weak smile appeared on Ted's face, but Harry and Ginny only paled, which Teddy took as his cue to quickly continue.

"Right, so last night Jamie went out after dinner. He said he would go for a walk, only he didn't come back till eleven, and on his broom."

Ginny's frown intensified at these words. "He flew at night? Is there any sense left in that boy?"

Teddy winced, "I'm afraid that's not all."

Harry, who had held a silent poker face so far, motioned for him to continue.

"He came home drunk and started to throw up as soon as he was through the door. He said he was with friends who had bought the alcohol."

Ginny's anger was plain obvious by now and Ted was a tad terrified by it even if he knew it was unlikely to turn on him. His godfather on the other hand remained outwardly calm his focus purely on his godson for now. Teddy wondered if Harry was musing over the irony of this happening on his watch.

"Right, get him down here then," Harry eventually said.

Teddy eyed Ginny warily. "Just remember that I already did a good amount of the yelling and lecturing."

"We'll hold the shouting till he has explained. Won't we, Gin?"

She rolled her eyes, but murmured an affirmative so Teddy took the few steps to the staircase and shouted upstairs, "James, kitchen now. Mum and Dad are home."

As came back into the room, he could see the surprised look on his godparents face about the harsh tone he had just used. He feigned ignorance to it and focussed on the hurried footsteps that drew closer.

James entered the kitchen and greeted his parents, before looking anxiously at his godbrother.

"I want you to tell us the full story of the events," Ted instructed and after one deep breath James divulged the story in full.

"I went to Mark's on my broom last night and someone had brought alcohol, so I had some. I hadn't planned on it, but they were all drinking, so I just went with it. It was late when I came flying back here. Teddy found me and I started throwing up. I don't remember much more after that, but I woke up in my room the today. Teddy tried to talk some sense into me then, and I didn't really listen, but I've done some thinking. I just want to say that I know that what I did was stupid and dangerous, and I'm sorry. I won't argue whatever punishment you decide. And I'm sorry for this morning, Teddy."

As he finished, James's eyes flickered pleadingly to the young man next to him, and then back down to the table, which was just as well, because his mother's furious look may have made him run for cover.

It was Harry, who quickly stepped in before his wife could get onto one of her rants.

"I think I speak for both your mother and myself, when I say that we're disappointed James. I thought we had been very clear about the rules, and then as soon as we give you a little bit of freedom you run away with it. I don't think I need to tell you that there will be consequences. However, I'm glad you've come to realise your mistake and have apologised, especially to Ted. For now, you should go up to your room while your mum and I talk. We will be up shortly."

Quickly James obeyed and scurried back upstairs. As the footsteps grew silent, Harry turned his godson, who still sat across him.

"How? How did you do it?" he questioned disbelieving.

"Did what?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Oh come on, James has been in a foul mood for weeks, months even if you believe Al, and all my lectures and attempts to straighten him out didn't get that contrite attitude he just displayed. You didn't put a charm on him did you?"

Ted couldn't suppress the laugh at his godfather's question. "Of course not, we just shared a talk from brother to brother. And, well I may have taken a page from your book and put those alcohol awareness leaflets to a second use."

"Thank you Ted. James should be very happy to have you in his life."

Teddy blinked, but quickly said, "Sure thing, Harry. I'm just going to go back to Al & Lils and make sure they don't eavesdrop while you talk to Jamie."

Teddy turned to leave, but was stopped at the kitchen door by Harry, whose face had quickly turned from gratitude to contemplation and then to concern as he spoke up.

"Ted, make sure you have your report on my desk when I come in."

"Report?" he asked seriously confused about the meaning of his godfather's words.

"Your report of last night," Harry clarified and with surprise Teddy realised what he had been asked for.

"I'm not writing a report about last night. I'm not putting Jamie in that situation," he answered evenly.

"James put himself in that situation. You need to write a report so that it doesn't damage your career." Harry insisted his voice firm and just on the verge of a reprimand.

Ted did not care for the tone and neither did he agree with Harry's suggestion. As an Auror he may be required to report under-age drinking, but he hadn't been on duty last night and he had absolutely no desire to see his brother in trouble with the DMLE.

"No one will ever know. It's a private matter."

"What if someone saw him fly drunk? What if I have a report on my desk already?" Harry questioned sharply.

Teddy shook his head.

"I'm willing to take that risk. No one needs to know about this."

"That's not your call to make. This could ruin your career," his godfather shot back, his voice rising to the point, where it would have echoed through the ground floor if it had not been for the silencing charm on the kitchen that Ginny had put up mere seconds before.

Teddy forced his own voice to remain calm, but his eyes betrayed the real irritation that was building up inside him.

"Which is exactly, why it is my decision. And I am not throwing my brother to the wolves."

"Don't be ridiculous."

His godfather's words were dismissive, almost mocking and it riled Ted up more than he cared to admit.

"You're being ridiculous if you think I report my own family," Teddy shouted, all ideas of remaining calm now out of the window.

"That report will be on my desk in the morning Ted, or you'll be suspended for insubordination." The words came out firm and calculated. It was Harry's Head Auror voice and although Ted had heard it a few times at work, he was not ready to take this order here and now.

"Excuse me?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"You heard me," his godfather replied coldly.

"Yeah, I just can't believe you would say that."

"Teddy, I'm sure that Harry only meant to," Ginny gently interrupted, but the young man only shook his head.

"Forget it. I need to go." Teddy sent a last icy glare to his godfather, then his gaze softened as he turned to his godmother.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I'll see you soon."

And with that he turned, walked straight out of the house and apparated. He didn't return to the Potter home that day, but rather spent some time wandering the streets of London to try clear his head.

When he finally went home Victoire took one look at him before asking what was wrong. He blurted out the entire story then and there, his anger resurfacing quickly. As he finished his rant Teddy briefly wondered if she would side with his godfather.

She didn't. Instead she took his hand closing the distance between them. Teddy could feel her hand against his palm, while her other hand gently caressed his face.

"He'll come around, you'll see. Let's not think about it anymore. I brought home some really good wine, and I cooked dinner while I waited for you."

Distantly, Teddy now noted the delicious smell coming from the small kitchen in the corner of the room.

"You cooked dinner?" he asked with raised eyebrows. It was no secret that neither of them was a culinary expert.

"Okay, I brought home leftovers from the wedding and heated them up," Victoire admitted, pushing her lower lip forward in a playful pout. "It took some pretty clever charms to keep it hot though."

"You take such good care of me," Teddy teased with a kiss to her nose, "Let's have some of that fancy French grub then."

They had just finished dessert and were on their second glass of wine when a knock echoed from the door. The young couple exchanged a quick glance - neither of them expected any visitors. Eventually Victoire stood and made for the door.

"If it's Harry, I'm not ready to speak to him yet," Teddy said grabbing their dirty plates and taking them to the kitchen area.

Victoire nodded in understanding and then opened the door just enough to see who was there.

"Jamie?" she looked surprised at the younger boy in front of her.

"Hi," James replied sheepishly, "Can I come in?"

Victoire opened the door far enough to allow her cousin to slip in.

"Do your parents know you're here?" she questioned glancing over to Teddy, who still stood rooted in the kitchen.

"Mum knows. She brought me over."

The couple exchanged another meaningful look.

"Can I talk to you please, Teddy? It's important," James asked pleadingly.

"Of course you can. Always, you know that," Teddy answered sincerely. He gestured to the couch, sat down, and waited for the younger boy to follow his lead.

As James sat next to Teddy, Victoire excused herself from the room.

"I'm just going to go and unpack. Don't want the dress to crease."

Teddy knew it was a flimsy excuse. She had probably unpacked hours ago when she'd come home. In fact he could hear the washing machine rumble in the background. Still, he appreciated the gesture of offering them what limited privacy their apartment provided.

The minute they were alone James blurted out, "You have to write that report Dad wants."

Tiredly, Ted sighed and shook his head.

"Jamie,..."

"No! I heard you argue, and I don't want you to be in trouble because of me."

"I'm not in trouble because of you."

James opened his mouth to argue, but Teddy quickly continued.

"Listen to me, you are not to blame for us arguing. There is no way I'm writing that report, neither should I have to, and you definitely don't want me to."

"Yes I do," James replied stubbornly.

Teddy shook his head, "You don't know what that means, Jamie."

"Yes, I do. I did read those pamphlets you gave me. I understand that you write a report and there will be consequences for me, but I deserve them, you don't."

"Again, I'm not in trouble," Ted countered with little luck as James answered straight back.

"Dad said he'll suspend you."

The young Auror winced. Of course, James had to pick that little detail up.

"Look, your dad has no right to threaten me with that, but if I do end up suspended, it's due to my taking a stand, not through your actions."

"We wouldn't be here if I hadn't been drinking," James replied, and Ted thought that his godbrother really was as stubborn as a mule.

"Indeed," he agreed, " and I hope you think about that the next time you're tempted, but it doesn't mean you're responsible for my actions with regards to this."

"Why won't you just write it?" James asked pleadingly.

"Because if you'd been anyone else's kid, you wouldn't have been reported. Because none of your friends will be. Because I want to protect you, and ultimately because I don't think it's necessary."

Teddy had spoken calmly, but resolutely and the defiance had slowly vanished out of James' features. He wasn't quite ready to give in completely though.

"But if I want you to, Teddy."

The young man shook his head. "You may ask a great many things of me, but I won't do what you want over what's best for you."

"So I broke the law and get off scot free, because you're taking the bullet for me?"

"I'm not taking a bullet for you," Teddy said exasperated.

"If Dad suspends you, then yes you do." James answered bitterly.

"If he suspends me, then he'll have to write that report and you'll end up in the same trouble." Ted explained trying to project more self-confidence in his belief that Harry wouldn't suspend him than he actually had. The young man was very aware that his godfather had the power and the temper to carry out his threat.

James wasn't convinced by his words either way and attempted another counter-argument.

"So you see, you're not even protecting me."

"I'm not writing that report and that's my last word," Teddy bit out in a tone harsher than he had intended.

Silence fell between them. Absently James played with the thread of the sofa throw. When he spoke again, the argumentative youngster was gone, and James sounded defeated.

"Can you at least for a second try and imagine what this feels like for me? I know I messed up. I already feel guilty about that. I don't want you to be suspended because of me. And you can say what you want, but it will feel like it's my fault. Let me take responsibility for my actions."

Teddy sighed heavily, but finally nodded.

"I will think about it. I promise I will think about it, but I can't promise you more than that."

Jamie smiled, "Thank you."

* * *

AN: Credit for beta-reading goes to 4fan .ci. Feedback, thoughts and criticism as always are welcome in the reviews. Thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The dinner with Victoire and even the talk with James had calmed Teddy down. However every time he thought back to the morning, his anger flared up again. Later in the evening he had contacted his supervisor to ask for time off the next day, and luckily she had granted it without further questions. It had given him an extra day to mull things over and while he had come to a decision, he still did not look forward to the inevitable confrontation with Harry.

The following day he was back at work, and he had barely had time to look at his rota, when one of the senior Aurors came for him.

"Lupin, the Head Auror wants to see you as soon as possible."

The older man was curt, and Teddy was under no illusion that _as soon as possible_ meant _immediately_. He placed the rota back on his desk and forced his face into a relaxed smile.

"Well, let's not keep him waiting then."

The older Auror accompanied him until nearly in front of the door to the Head Auror's office, which he did in an awkward silence that gave Teddy the time to think through his decision one last time. He pushed his doubt to the side, schooled his face and entered the office.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" he said as the door closed behind him.

If Harry was surprised by the formal address that they usually reserved for company, he didn't show it.

"Yes, in fact I wanted to speak to you yesterday, but apparently you weren't in," he replied coldly.

"Took some annual leave, Sir, personal reasons," the young Auror replied nonchalantly.

"Ted, can we please stop this. I had hoped you would have come to your senses. I'm giving you another chance to hand in the report that I asked for," Harry answered with a sigh.

"And my opinion on that has not changed, I'm afraid," Teddy replied coldly.

"You are aware of the consequences of disobeying a direct order, aren't you?" Harry questioned with a raised eyebrow, which had not intimidated Teddy since he was 12-years old.

"You made that quite clear on Sunday. It's funny though, isn't it? You are so insistent that I write that report so I won't damage my career, but by trying to make me write it, you'll end up achieving exactly what you tried to avoid. I wonder what would be the bigger scandal, me trying to protect James or you suspending me for insubordination?"

"You're out of line," his godfather bit out, his usual calm demeanour vanished.

"No, you're out of line," Teddy reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a small stack of bound parchment. "Here's your report," he said tossing it on the desk. "Never try and twist my arm like this again. I'm 23 years old. I'm entitled to my own decisions. You had no right to pull rank on me, when I have worked every minute in this department to prove that I neither want nor get special treatment. On Sunday I was talking to my godfather and what I told you I told you, because you are James' dad, not because you are the Head Auror. You were out of line when you used your power over me at work to end an argument that was personal."

Harry blinked at him in shocked surprise. It seemed like he had momentarily lost his speech though his furrowed brows indicated his continued displeasure. Quickly Ted decided to take his leave, before the situation could escalate any further.

"If that's all, I had better get back to work, Sir."

Teddy turned and walked out of the office.

In the following days, Teddy managed to avoid his godfather entirely. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, and that sooner or later he had to face Harry. But he wouldn't make this easy for his godfather. Harry was in the wrong, and Teddy had no intention of letting things go just like that.

So that Sunday, Teddy and Victoire excused themselves from the Sunday family lunch at the Burrow and instead spent a quiet day at home. And it had been a day they had very much needed, Teddy mused, as he snuggled up next to Tori on their couch. Their peaceful bliss was interrupted by a resolute knocking sound on the front door. Teddy frowned, but untangled himself from Victoire's embrace and stood to open the door.

"Ginny?" He greeted with a questioning tone in his voice.

"Hi, Teddy," she replied stepping through the door he held open.

"Hi, Aunt Ginny" Victoire said with a wave as Teddy awkwardly lingered behind his godmother.

Ginny smiled at Victoire in response and then turned to the young man behind her.

"We need to talk. I'll let you do this your way, but it seems you and your godfather share a ridiculous amount of bullheadedness, and I have had enough."

Teddy's eyes narrowed, and he was ready to dish out a snarling response, when Victoire intervened.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk and organise some dinner. I'll see you later."

She didn't wait for a response, but grabbed her purse and was out of the door in less than a minute.

Ginny barely waited for the door to close before she started to talk.

"Right, so before you shout at me, I want to say that I don't blame you. I understand why you were angry at Harry's words and believe me, when I say that you have made your point of view very clear, but now there has to be a way to move forward from here. Both of you are too damn stubborn to move an inch."

"So what - do you want me to just act as if nothing happened? And I won't apologise. I'm sorry Ginny, but I just won't."

"I'm not asking you to apologize, but would you listen to anything Harry has to say at the moment? You avoid him like the plague, you haven't been round for dinner or Sunday lunch, and this can't go on forever. All I ask is that you come to dinner someday next week and have an open mind and see what happens."

Teddy mused the idea over in his head and then conceded with a nod.

"Okay, I'll come for dinner, but if he starts again..."

"He won't," Ginny assured, "trust me."

"Alright, how about this Friday then?"

Ginny sighed. "There is something else I need to tell you. Harry has filed your report and handed it over to the Head of the DMLE."

Teddy huffed annoyed and was about to comment, when Ginny held up a hand to silence him.

"He and I have discussed this at length and we agree that this is what's best."

"Best for whom? It sure isn't what's best for Jamie. And it's so unnecessary."

With a sad smile Ginny shook her head.

"Someone reported his friends. Apparently, they were too loud and a neighbour complained. We don't know for sure if they have mentioned Jamie, since he was already gone by the time the Hit Wizards arrived, but the notion that this will go unnoticed is now a lot less likely. At least with your report we can deal with this discreetly and not have the prophet splash a story of nepotism all over the front page."

"And you think underage drunken flying is less of a story?" Teddy asked skeptically.

"No one will know. Susan Bones is a good friend of the family, she'll deal with this discreetly. James' file will be private and classified."

Taking in her words, Teddy eventually shrugged and said, "Fine, I still don't agree with your decision, but I'll respect it."

"Thank you."

Teddy could feel that her gratitude was genuine, and it reduced some of his own grumbled emotions

"So what happens now?" He asked focussing his attention back on his godmother.

"There is a hearing on Thursday. You'll probably be asked to attend, and then we'll have to wait and see what happens. It may end in nothing but a warning for James since it was a first offence."

"Or it ends in an ministry holding cell," Teddy said running a hand over his face in distress.

"If that happens then it will be a lesson to him, but he'll be fine."

Teddy said nothing in response. It was obvious that the whole ordeal distressed him, but then despite her reasoning Ginny didn't seem fully comfortable either. And really he couldn't blame her for that. It also placated his own irritation at his godparents' decision. They had given this some serious thought and had really been stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.

Ginny must have realised that she had managed to get through to him, as she promptly broke the silence and stood up from the couch.

"Well, I shall see you for Friday's dinner then. Feel free to bring Tori along, will you?"

He got up to accompany her to the door. To his surprise, she drew him in for a quick hug and then let go of him just enough so that they could see eye to eye.

"You will always be our eldest, Ted. We only ever want what's best for you, all of you children. Don't begrudge us for that."

Teddy nodded weakly trying to shake of the feeling of guilt that had crept into his stomach as he had stared into Ginny's sad eyes. When she left a moment later Ted had no time to dwell on his thoughts before Victoire returned with a bag full of food and the determination to take his mind of the matter for the rest of their Sunday night.

* * *

 _In case it wasn't clear from the text, Susan Bones is the Head of the DMLE (meaning she followed her aunt's career path)._

AN: Thank you goes to my beta-reader 4fan .ci and all who have reviewed, alerted and read so far. Feedback, as always, is greatly appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Thanks to Ginny's visit, the note on his desk on Monday morning did not come as a surprise. Neatly written by the private secretary of Madam Bones, Head of the DMLE, it requested his attendance at the disciplinary hearing of Mr James Sirius Potter for the purpose of evidence testimony.

Ted mused that it was somewhat ridiculous that the Head of Law Enforcement was dealing with a case of underage drinking. Then again, these cases were usually dealt with by the officer at hand, and a report filed for the Head Auror or his deputy. Neither of which were available in this instance though, because neither Harry nor Ron could claim to judge the case objectively. Susan Bones was a friend of the family, but like her aunt before her had a reputation of being fair and unbiased. Whether that bode well for his younger brother, Teddy wasn't so sure.

By Wednesday Teddy had still not spoken to his godfather, and so it was with worry and weariness that he approached the DMLE offices.

He was met there by a young private secretary, a girl who he vaguely knew as one of the 7th year prefects during his third year at Hogwarts. She smiled at him and nodded towards the door.

"They've already started, but I will let Madam Bones know that you're here, Auror Lupin."

She stood promptly and after a short knock poked her head through the door. It took only a minute for her to come back and motion to an empty chair by the door.

"Take a seat, the Director will call you in when they're ready."

As he sat down, it dawned on Teddy that he wasn't invited to the entire hearing, but had instead only been called on to give evidence. It was unusual, but then nothing about this was normal.

Deep in thought, Teddy had missed the door opening, so he scrambled to his feet hurriedly when the Director called him in. As Teddy entered, he saw his godfather at the far end of the room. He was, Teddy noted, not in uniform but rather wearing plain robes. James sat in front of the Director's desk, quite literally the centre of attention. There was no empty chair left and so Ted stood to attention in the free space left to his godbrother.

"James, Auror Lupin is here as he filed the report for this hearing. It's procedure that he is present and can state his views on the case," the Director stated matter-of-factly.

She waited for James' understanding nod, before she turned to him.

"Auror Lupin please let me start by saying that Mr Potter is here today as James' parent and not in his capacity as Head Auror. The only person you're accountable to in here is myself."

"Yes ma'am," he answered trying hard to hide his surprise at her blunt words.

"Good, I've already spoken to James and he gave an account that matches yours, so I don't have any other questions with regard to what happened. Is there anything you wish to add to your report."

"Only my judgment of character if I may."

"Please," she invited, "go ahead."

Ted exhaled deeply to calm his nerves, but when he spoke his voice was controlled and purposeful.

"I'm certain that this is a first offence, and although he acted rashly, James was very apologetic when I spoke to him the next day and seemed to genuinely regret his actions. I do not think that he is likely to break the law on underage drinking again," Teddy said meeting Madam Bones' eyes in the hope to portray his sincerity.

He wasn't sure if it had worked or not as she nodded, obviously contemplating her next words.

"Then I think we should bring this hearing to an end."

Her focus settled on James and as she addressed her tone was stern and official.

"I do not think that there can be any argument about the truth of the charges against you. Your own accounts match those of Auror Lupin's report, and I'm therefore issuing an official warning to be filed in your record until you come of age. Should any charges be brought up against you during this time, your warning will be part of the considerations then. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am," the teenager answered barely meeting her gaze.

"Now, your father has asked me to consider letting you off with this warning, but I must say that I'm not inclined to do so. Your actions were foolish, dangerous and reckless. Most importantly, you broke the law on two separate accounts. While both Auror Lupin and your father have stressed how you regret your actions, and you do indeed seem apologetic, it does not change the fact that there are consequences for breaking the law. I wouldn't be doing my job as Director of law enforcement if I didn't uphold that principle."

She paused there and James acknowledged her words with another faint, "Yes ma'am.".

Ted felt sorry for the boy. Not only was this at least the third lecture James had received for the same offence, but to add insult to injury he was about to receive a punishment that would no doubt be harsher than the consequences for his friends.

Teddy's musings stopped as Madam Bones continued, her expressions ever so slightly softer than before.

"However, I do acknowledge that you do not have a record so far and that you are indeed repentant."

Abruptly she turned her attention from James to himself and asked, "What would you have done if you had, on duty, picked up someone James' age intoxicated?"

Surprised by her questions, he tried to stall.

"That would depend on how intoxicated that person was, ma'am."

"Well,"she said a small smile playing around her lips, "let's say about as intoxicated as James was when you found him."

Teddy realised suddenly that she had planned this. He knew that she must know the answer to her question and the only reason she had asked was to seal James' fate.

Unwilling, but with no other option he answered honestly, "I would have taken him back to base, tried to get some personal detail out of him to inform his parents and then put him in one of the holding cells to sober up."

In the corner of his eye Teddy could make out Harry's stone-faced expression and knew that his godfather had also realised how this would end.

"So a night in a holding cell would have been the likeliest consequence?"

"Yes ma'am. I would have filed a report of course, but usually the scare of a few hours in a cell are deemed sufficient."

"Well then, I certainly hope it will be a sufficient lesson to young Mr Potter," she eyed James intently and just as he started to squirm under her gaze, which to James's credit took longer than Teddy had expected, Madam Bones continued, "because I do not wish to see you in my office again."

She grabbed the notes a quill had been writing for the entire meeting, quickly scanned it, made a few changed, added something and then tipped it with her wand once.

"I conclude this disciplinary hearing of James Sirius Potter with the following verdict. The accused is found guilty of the charges brought up against him. He has received an official warning and will be required to present himself to the Auror Department for a 24h arrest period under the supervision of Auror Lupin, to be served within four weeks from today."

She turned the paper on her desk and placed a quill next to it.

"I will require your signatures. James, signing this does mean that you accept the outcome of this hearing and will not ask for a revision of this case. You are therefore under no obligation to sign."

"I'll sign," James offered immediately, only to be stopped by a hand on his arm.

"I want you to take a minute and think about it before you make a decision." Harry advised his son softly.

And yet James shook his head almost immediately.

"I don't need time to think about it. I've made a mistake and now I'll face the consequences. It's what you've taught me after all."

The teenager grabbed the quill and signed the document before pushing it to his father.

Harry sighed, but added his own signature without another word. Finally, paper and quill were handed to Teddy. He took a moment to read the document, curious what had transpired before he had entered the room, but eventually he placed his own signature and handed the now official document back to the director.

She in turn gave a copy to Harry. He and James stood to leave. Teddy sneaked a wink at James as he passed him and received a small smile in return. The young Auror made to follow his godfather and brother, but was stopped by the voice from behind the desk.

"Auror Lupin, if I could have a word please?"

Teddy frowned slightly, but dutifully closed the door and returned to his spot before her desk.

"Please take a seat," she gestured to the previously occupied chairs and only continued to speak once he was perched on one of them.

"I just wanted to say that I appreciate this case isn't easy for you, but in James' interest I would like to keep this to as few people as possible. However, if you don't feel up for this, tell me now and no one will hold it against you. Merlin knows the only reason you're allowed to work this case is because the Ministry policies only cover blood and legal relations. "

 _And he had neither to James,_ Teddy mused. Harry and Ginny were his guardians, but to James he was nothing but his godbrother, a title that had no legal binding.

His thoughts were interrupted as Susan Bones continued, "If you do however stay on this case and oversee James' arrest period, I expect full professionalism."

Teddy didn't even allow himself to think about it. "I'll do it. It won't be a problem, Director."

"I was hoping you would say that. I will ask your godfather to arrange it so that we keep this as quiet as possible. Not that I think you need telling, but this hearing and James' case is classified."

"Of course, ma'am," he replied sincerely.

"Good, well get back to work then, Lupin. We've kept you long enough with this nonsense."

He joined in with her smile, much more comfortable with the usual brusque Auror tone than her earlier official business voice. As he left the office, Teddy was a bit disappointed at the realisation that Harry and James had not waited for him.

While he understood that his godfather wanted to get James home to draw no attention, Ted had hoped he could have a few words to clear the air. Now it would have to wait until Friday's dinner.

...

So on Friday, 7pm sharp, Teddy and Victoire apparated to the front door of the Potter home. They were welcomed by Ginny, who shepherded them into the dining room where Lily and James were just about to finish setting the table.

The couple helped carry in dinner, the conversation mainly filled by idle small talk between Victoire and Ginny. The atmosphere turned slightly awkward as Harry joined them in the dining room, but neither Teddy nor his godfather had time to acknowledge this, as Ginny quickly ushered them into their seats.

Only once seated did Teddy realise that Albus was not present at the table. Helping himself to some potatoes he wondered out loud.

"Aren't we waiting for Al?"

There was a beat of silence, a few uncomfortable glances and a hidden snicker from Lily that Teddy didn't miss.

"He's in his room. He won't be coming down for dinner," Ginny replied with forced nonchalance.

"Yeah, you could say his room is his personal prison," Lily added with a smirk.

"Lily Luna," Harry admonished sharply, and Teddy wondered what exactly was going on as Lily's expression turned from bemused to annoyed.

"So he's doing something idiotic," Lily motioned to James, who looked like he wanted to sink into the ground," and we all have to tiptoe around him? Al was only making a joke."

"Your brother's comments were malicious and hurtful, which is not something we will tolerate. Now, can we please have a nice dinner in peace," Ginny said resolutely and quietly her daughter acquiesced.

Dinner was filled with idle chatter, carried mostly by Ginny, Tori and himself. Only in his chat to James later, would Teddy find out what Lily's comments had been about. James had been reluctant to divulge the story, but Teddy eventually got him to talk. Apparently Albus had made various sarcastic comments since he and Lily had been told about the outcome of James' disciplinary hearing. Things had turned for the worse when Al had been asked to set the table for lunch. He had completed the task perfectly with the small exception of James' lunch, containing only a slice of bread and a glass of water.

James had relayed this story to Teddy with merely a shrug of the shoulders stating that it had just been a prank. A joke that apparently neither Ginny nor Harry shared as they had promptly told their younger son off and sent him to his room for the remainder of the day. It was obvious that things were still tense in the Potter household.

For Teddy that was yet another reason why he did not look forward to the inevitable talk with his godfather. He wasn't left with much of a choice though, because as soon as he re-entered the kitchen after his chat with James, Ginny directed him to the empty living room. She must have done the same to Harry, because his godfather looked as reluctant as Teddy felt when he entered shortly after himself.

A moment of unfamiliar silence erupted as their eyes locked and Teddy felt the undeniable urge to say anything to break the silence. In the end his stubbornness won out and it was Harry who eventually cleared his throat.

"I have to apologise to you Ted."

The young men cocked his eyebrow in skeptic surprise, but remained silent. He had no intention to make this easy for his godfather. He had promised Ginny that he would listen, have an open-mind, but that didn't mean he didn't still hold something of a grudge.

His godfather didn't allow the silence to linger as he continued straight away.

"You were right about what you said in my office. I shouldn't have brought my position at work up in a personal argument, and I should have never threatened you with suspension. I'm sorry for that."

Teddy nodded hesitantly.

"Thank you."

"I promise you that I try harder to make sure I don't mix work and home. As you said, you work really hard to be treated like everyone else, so I ought to do my part to respect that."

"You do," Teddy interrupted. "It's never been an issue before. I mean I don't want you to act like I'm a stranger."

Hi godfather seemed to contemplate his words and eventually nodded his agreement. His expression changed slightly as he asked, "You do understand why I asked you to write that report though, don't you?"

"Yes," Teddy answered sincerely, "and I do get it. I also know that you wanted to protect me as much as Jamie. I still don't agree that writing that report was necessarily the best course of action, but I can see your point. I also might have listened to your reasoning if you had asked me, not ordered me."

"Understood." Harry answered with a smile that Teddy through looked almost sheepish.

"So are we okay?" the young man found himself asking with an anxiousness that he inwardly resented.

"You tell me."

"Yeah, we're good." Ted answered, but now that his own bruised ego was appeased, he also felt the need to voice some apologies of his own.

"I'm sorry James is facing arrest," he offered.

"That's not your fault, you know that, don't you?"

"But if I hadn't told Madam Bones ..."

"No," Harry shook his head, "her mind was made up before you entered. You know that as much as I."

"I still feel bad for him."

"He'll be okay. What I want to know, are you alright with overseeing his sentence? I can get someone else to do it."

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks for asking though, but I'd much rather it's me than some stranger."

"That makes two of us. I've already spoken to Susan and we can get this over with next weekend. No one will find anything unusual if you're stationed in the holding area for your shifts."

Ted agreed to his godfather's plan immediately. The sooner this awkward affair was over the better. Harry had been right; it wasn't unusual for junior officers like himself to be in charge of the holding cells during a graveyard shift. And weekend nights were definitely a graveyard shift - the ministry deserted, no Aurors in the office and bar any emergencies the only incoming incidents were drunken behaviour or the odd pub brawl in Hogsmeade, Godrick's Hollow or one of the even smaller magical villages.

It would be the perfect time to get James in and out of the Ministry unnoticed.

* * *

 _AN: Thanks go to my beta-Reader 4fan. ci . Let me know what you think of the story, feedback is as always greatly appreciated._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Teddy couldn't stop worrying as he paced in his godfathers office on Saturday night. Harry was due to arrive with James any minute now, and they had agreed to meet in the Head Auror's office as it had a private floo access.

With a sigh, Teddy checked his watch for the sixth time in the last few minutes. Suddenly the floo activated and Ted stopped his pacing immediately. In front of him Harry stepped out of the floo, his clothes casual, but his expression business-like. He murmured a quick greeting to his godson and then turned to the floo where James was stepping out to stand next to his father.

James looked nervous, but Teddy thought that was probably to be expected. In an attempt to move things along, he went straight to protocol.

"Right, I've put the paperwork on the desk for both of you to sign. James, I also need your wand."

His brother handed over his wand without a word and then waited his turn to sign the papers after his dad.

With his part of the procedure done, Harry excused himself, but not before he had shared some comforting words with his son and a reminder to behave himself.

And then, way too soon for Teddy's liking he was alone with James. The teenager looked uneasy and uncomfortable, and Ted tried to convey some sympathy with a reassuring smile as he explained what would happen next.

"Right, we're going to head down to the holding cells. There's no one else down there at the moment and we shouldn't meet anyone on the way. But just in case, keep your head down."

"Okay," James answered, and the with a moment's hesitation amended, "Yes, Sir."

Teddy grimaced and shook his head.

"There's no need for that, Jamie. With another officer maybe, but not with me."

He led the teenager through the deserted Ministry halls, and soon they arrived at the holding area. He took James all the way to the end of the long corridor of cells. The last five were separated by an extra security barrier. It was this section that was reserved for minors, intoxicated or sick detainees. Not only were these cells away from other more dangerous inmates, they also featured a series of special monitoring charms ensuring the welfare of the person within. It was a far cry from the old days of chucking someone into a dark cell in Azkaban.

 _And thank Merlin for that_ , Teddy thought as he closed the final security barrier behind them. He motioned to the small table with a stack of trays on it.

"You need to empty all your pockets, take off any jewellery, your watch, and place them in the tray. When you're done, take off the hoodie and remove your laces."

James quickly obeyed and within a minute was stripping off his large hoodie.

"I don't have any laces," he said in a quiet voice that was so unusual for James that it felt like a punch in the gut to Teddy. He cast his eyes to his brother's shoes and realised that he was wearing slip-ons.

"That's alright then," Teddy said accepting the hoody from James. Swallowing hard he forced himself to say:

"When you're ready I need to scan you for any other items. Can you stand facing the wall for me, hands against the wall?"

Whatever emotions James felt during that instruction, he masked it with a stony face and a short nod. Ted however wished he could be as far away from this situation as possible. That wasn't an option though, so getting this over with quickly became his recourse action. He scanned the items in the tray with a flick of his wand, but unsurprisingly what little possessions James had brought came back clean.

Moving quickly he placed a hand on James' back to keep the teenager still while his wand scanned up and down James' body. He finished with the compulsory body search although he knew it was pointless. Harry would have made sure that James didn't carry anything unusual.

"You can turn back around and put the hoodie back on, Jamie," Teddy said and handed the pack of tissues that had come out of James' pockets back to him.

"You can keep these, the other items will be held for you."

With a thanks James accepted the tissues and stuffed them back in his pocket. With no reason left to stall Teddy swallowed hard and unlocked the cell closest to them. He gently took James by the arm and led him to the no open door.

"Remember, it's only 24 hours. It will all be over quicker than you think."

James nodded weakly and followed his encouragement to step into the cell.

"I'll be okay," James assured Ted, but his eyes darted around the small room nervously. A bed and small table bolted to the wall were the entire content of the small room. There was a part of the cell partitioned off, which held in no real privacy a steel toilet and sink.

"I'll check on you in the morning," Ted said standing in the cell door. "Try to get some sleep."

He waited for James, standing lost in the middle of the room, to give a small nod and then the young Auror forced himself to take a step back. With a flick of his wand the heavy door fell into its lock leaving James to his fate.

Ted could honestly say that that night shift had been the hardest of his career so far. It had been a quiet night, which had left plenty of time for Teddy to pace and worry. He had suppressed the urge to check in on his godbrother several times. He knew it wouldn't have been helpful for either of them. However, that didn't stop him from checking the monitor charms almost hourly. They had been perfectly fine every single time and didn't go off once. Consequently, James was fine also, a reasoning that Ted repeated to himself religiously that night.

Come morning his anxiety had reached butterfly level. He balanced the tray of James' breakfast in one hand, while opening the cell door with a flick of his wand. The image that presented itself in front of him made Ted's breath hitch.

James was sitting on the bed, knees drawn close to his chest and hugged by his arms for comfort. He was hunched over, his face hidden, but he must have realised that the door had opened, because his head slowly came up and suddenly their eyes met.

 _'He cried,'_ Teddy realised instantly although there were no tears now. Yet, the puffy bloodshot eyes were a clear sign of James' misery. Ted had certainly seen it often enough that a night in a cell could turn a boisterous 15-year old into a tearful, contrite youngster.

"Hi," James mumbled, stretching his legs out to place them on the floor.

"Good morning," Teddy answered slowly finding his voice again.

He placed the breakfast tray on the small table letting the silence linger between them. It wasn't easy to suppress the urge to ask his godbrother how he was feeling. But what would have been the use, when it was obvious that James wasn't fine. There was no comfort that Ted could offer apart from the large sugar portion he had sneaked into porridge and tea.

"You should eat something. It will make you feel better," He urged. "I'm off now, just hang in there and I'll see you tonight."

He waited for James to reply, but the teenager only gave a faint nod in answer. His lack of talk was seriously disconcerting, but Teddy didn't allow himself to linger on it. Checking on James had been his last duty for the shift, so he quickly handed over the young Auror who Harry had also briefed for this, and then apparated home, downed a sleeping potion and quickly succumbed to blissful rest.

* * *

 _AN: Credit for beta-reading goes to 4fan. ci. Thank you for all alerts, favourites and reviews. Please feel free to drop me your thoughts or criticism in a review or PM. There's two chapters left, the next one being from James' POV. I'm currently rewriting it, so please be a bit patient with the next update._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 _(James' POV)_

The moment the heavy door locked behind him, James felt trapped.

He blinked a few times, eyelids fluttering open and closed in rapid speed trying to adjust to the unusual lighting in the cell. Suddenly he could hear his own heart beat, quicker and quicker with every second.

Panic was starting to rise in him, the feeling of being trapped - no, more than that, the feeling of a wild animal captured in a cage.

He forced himself to breathe slowly.

In, then out.

In, and out.

It took more than ten minutes to get himself back under control. He just stood there in the middle of the cell, lost and listening to his own breath slowly leveling with his heart rate.

Eventually James got over the first shock and moved around the room. Not that there was a lot of it really.

Four walls, no window. A small and narrow cot with no added comfort. No pillow, blanket or even a sheet. Walking by the metal table that was fixed to the wall, he noticed the only thing in the room that could be moved. He grabbed the water bottle, studied it for a moment, then put it back down. His wrist brushed the cold metal and he shuddered involuntarily.

His arms quickly wrapped around himself, but it was no real comfort. There was no escape here. Not from the room, not from his thoughts and not from this feeling of being utterly lost.

Slowly he took the few steps to the uninviting bed. He sat down hesitantly as if to test the feeling, but it was as unforgiving as he had expected. With a sigh he let his head fall back against the wall.

He immediately regretted it as a dull pain pulsated through the back of his head.

"Ouch!" James berated himself, "Stupid!"

The pain quickly faded, but in its stead James could feel the cold from the wall seeping into his bones. He shivered again and rolled himself over to lie on the bed. There may no be a blanket to chase away the cold, but at least it would be mildly more comfortable.

And so he found himself lying on the hard cot staring at the ceiling. How long he stayed like that he didn't know, but at some point the fluorescent light had been turned off, and he was suddenly engulfed by darkness.

He squinted trying to adjust to the lack of light. The darkness brought a new wave of queasiness. He was thankful for the small mercy of the faint green emergency light that illuminated the cell just enough to not swallow him in a complete blackout.

There, lying in the cold, the hard cot as harsh reminder underneath him, and with his gaze fixed on the barely visible ceiling, James realised for the first time the full magnitude of his actions.

He had known that what he did was wrong even as he did it.

He had started to feel guilty about it at some point during his godbrother's lecture and had come to realise the consequences as his parents had talked him through the disciplinary hearing.

He had known that underage drinking was illegal, but it wasn't until now that he really understood what that meant.

 _He had broken the law_.

That thought struck James with an unexpected surprise and left a foul taste in his mouth.

Of course, he had known this all along, but it had never fully dawned on him what that meant.

Now however, stripped of his wand and his freedom, the seriousness of his actions finally sank in.

Nothing his parents or school had ever sanctioned him with had felt so real, so serious. This same cell could have once been occupied by thieves, murderers and dark wizards. Those were not a group of people James wanted to ever be associated with.

At that thought the first tears clung to his eyelashes.

He ignored them at first, but the dark, deafening silence gave him the jitters and he soon started to cry in earnest.

Hot tears were rolling down his cheeks and James was glad for the tissues his mother had insisted he'd take along. The thought of his mum set off a fresh round of tears. Between sobs, James awkwardly rubbed his eyes with the ends of his sleeves. Soon the ends were damp and added to his overall discomfort.

James snivelled and fumbled for yet another tissue from the now half-empty pack. His breath hitched and he desperately tried to get a grip on himself as he loudly blew his nose.

As he had done earlier, he tried again to control his breathing.

 _In, and out. In, then out._

He managed to calm himself for a moment, but the next minute he could feel his stomach contracting once more in that awful fashion that caused him to start bawling again. He couldn't fathom the strength to fight it anymore, and so the sobs continued until James had run out of tears to cry.

At some point during his break down James had turned himself to lie on his side facing the wall. Shutting out the room as much as possible seemed like an almost unconscious self-preserving reflex.

With a small whimper he drew his legs closer to his chest in an attempt of obtaining comfort and warmth.

Eventually, exhausted from the emotional turmoil and endless crying, James fell asleep in that curled-up, foetal position.

His reprieve however was short lived as the unfamiliar and uncomfortable environment meant that James' usually deep sleep was easily disrupted.

The first time he woke was the worst.

Shivering from the cold, he felt himself shifting into consciousness. Slowly he became aware of the hard surface beneath him, and opened his eyes to orientate himself.

He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the sparsely green-lit room.

Realisation of where he was hit him like a fast train and washed away all of that blissful ignorance sleep had brought.

He could feel dread rising in his stomach yet again, but he refused to give into it. Besides, he was still tired, grumpy, cold and exhausted. He didn't have the energy for another break-down.

So he wiped away the tears that had started to form with his still slightly damp sleeve, and rolled himself back to his side to a sleeping position. It didn't take more than a few moments for exhaustion to drag James back into dreamy oblivion.

The same scenario repeated itself several times during the night. Each time disorientation and confusion hit first, and then in an almost cruel realisation, James remembered where he was and his misery would rush back ten-fold.

He didn't feel like he had gotten any real sleep when at some point in the morning, the bright light came back, robbing him of any further chance of sleep.

From then on, the hours dragged slowly, each minute feeling longer than the last.

At some point Teddy had brought him breakfast. The atmosphere in the room had been so tense that James had held his breath rather than letting loose his emotions.

Thankfully Ted had not asked questions, nor had he offered comfort, but left the cell as soon as the breakfast tray had been deposited on the table.

The only encouragement his older brother had given him was to order him to eat something.

The mere thought of food triggered James' gag reflex. But then his stomach rumbled, and he could see the steam slowly rising from the hot tea and porridge.

It would have been madness to waste any comfort at this point. So James forced himself to eat, and with every spoonful of sugary porridge and every gulp of hot tea, the nightmares of the last hours grew a bit more distant.

All too soon however, the bowl was empty, and the cup only held a shallow taste of luke-warm tea.

James was back to staring at the blank walls, left with nothing to occupy his time but his own thoughts.

 _24 hours could be an incredibly long time,_ he thought as he stretched out on the prison cot once more.

* * *

 _AN: Sorry for the wait. This chapter gave me some problems and I'm still not 1000% sure it came out right. Ist certainly different from the rest. I was close to taking it out, but I think it helps with the last and final chapter. Anyway, thank you for reading. Please do share your opinion and criticism. Massive thanks go to 4fan .ci, who went through the trouble of beta-reading this chapter more than once._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Thanks to the dreamless sleep potion, Teddy was out cold well into the afternoon. When he finally woke, he occupied himself cleaning their small apartment, the noise of his favourite Weird Sisters' album on full blast deafening all the pesky thoughts racing through his brain. He even managed to throw together some food for dinner before Victoire got home from her day out with Dominique and their mother. In the end the day had not dragged as painfully as Teddy had feared and soon after an early dinner, he headed back to work.

The young Auror who had covered the holding cells for the day shift was already waiting for him. Adam Wood, oldest son of Quidditch star Oliver Wood, had been two years below Teddy in Auror training. Despite being pretty green behind his ears, he was well-liked among his colleagues with a reputation of being hard-working, loyal and unpretentious, all reasons why Harry had picked him for this specific shift.

"Hi, Adam, I'm not late, am I?" Ted asked in greeting, although he knew that if anything he was early.

"No, of course not. Just keen to get home, is all. It was dead quiet all day, almost boring." Adam replied as he handed over the daily log.

"So nothing to report then." Ted flicked through the paperwork answering his own question and followed it straight up with one that really was on his mind.

"How is he?"

"Fine, given the circumstance. He was very quiet the two times I went in, but that's to be expected I think. Much prefer that to when they snap."

Teddy made a quick affirmative sound. He had hoped, prayed that James wouldn't snap, as they called it. It happened sometimes that being in a cell just made a person go wild and they had no alternative, but to restrain them for their own safety. But Teddy didn't know if he would have managed to leave Jamie in a full-body-bind or restrain him, even if it was for his own good.

Shaking off the thought, he refocused on the younger Auror.

"I'll take it from here. Go on and get out of here."

"Only too happy to," Adam smiled and a moment later Teddy was alone in the large open-plan office. He did a round of the holding cells, checked the monitoring charms and unsurprisingly found it all in perfect order. All too soon, he was back at his desk trying to concentrate on his paperwork. He had about an hour left to James' release. The minutes ticked by slowly, the large clock on the office wall mocking him as he desperately tried to focus on the report in front of him without looking up to check the time very five minutes or so.

Finally, about 50 minutes into the hour Ted threw in the towel and headed down to the holding area. He picked up James' belongings on the way, but then didn't delay any longer. When he opened the cell door Teddy half-expected to find his godbrother pacing the small space. Instead James lay on the small bed, hands interlaced between his head and open eyes staring at the ceiling. He looked almost peaceful.

Suddenly he must have noticed Ted in the door and quickly pulled himself up and into a standing position.

"Is everything alright?" James asked with a concerned, but also puzzled look.

"Of course," Teddy smiled, "I'm here to get you out. Your time's up."

"Oh, okay," James looked sheepish now. It seemed he had not expected the 24hour period to be over yet. Eager to get out himself, Ted motioned to the door.

"Go ahead, just put your hood back up in case we pass someone."

With James' face reasonably obscured, Teddy led his godbrother out of the cells and up to the Auror offices. Luckily Adam had been right and the building was incredibly quiet, so that they weren't seen by a single person. As they reached the Head Auror's office, he pushed the door open an released James' arm to allow him to enter first.

The 15-year old immediately bolted from his side.

"Dad," James' voice echoed from inside even before Teddy had the chance to fully open the door.

When he did, he saw his godfather leaning casually against his desk and James standing a few feet away from him. It looked like he had rushed to his father, only for his teenage mind to catch-up and make him come to an abrupt halt in the middle of the room. It seemed that while James's body craved the physical comfort of a parent, his stubborn head was not quite ready to admit that.

Luckily, Harry had no such qualms and quickly closed the gap between himself and his son to embrace him in a tight hug.

"Jamie," he murmured barely audible enough for Teddy to hear. They stayed like this for longer than James had allowed in years, and eventually it was Harry who loosened the embrace. Still holding on to his son's shoulders he pressed a kiss to his forehead. It was another show of affection James would have normally extracted himself from quickly, but today he only mumbled an emotional apology.

"I'm sorry- I'm sorry Dad." The words would have been lost on Ted if he hadn't been moving to lean against the wall and thus be in a position to read James' lips as he spoke.

There was a last comforting squeeze on the shoulder, before Harry let go of the embrace.

"Let's get you home," he turned partially to Teddy and the fireplace, "both of you."

"What do you mean?" Teddy frowned. "I have to finish the shift. I can't go home."

"Yes, you can. Come home with us." Harry answered evenly.

"There's no one covering the holding cells, I can't just ..."

"I've taken care of that. Ron should arrive down there just about now. Your team is on an active case Ted, you shouldn't have to pull two night shifts just to come back to the case on Monday. I just didn't tell you, because I wasn't sure when the case would wrap up."

"Oh, okay. Thanks," Teddy felt silly for not even realising that Harry would not want him to take off time during the week to make up for his weekend shift. Not only would it take him away from the case, but maybe more importantly it would draw additional attention to the fact that he had worked the extra weekend, which was unusual for a qualified Auror on an active case.

"So, will you come home with us? Just for a bit, Ginny made Sticky Toffee Pudding," Harry smiled apologetic for the cheap lure, but Teddy didn't care. He loved the fact that Ginny made their favourite dessert as comfort food, because he knew she made it just as much for him as she did for James. He quickly nodded his agreement and a second later all three of them stepped through the floo.

Teddy followed James, and when he appeared in the Potter living room, he found his godbrother already in a tight embrace by his mum. She caressed his cheek gently, although Teddy could almost see him squirm on the inside.

A second later Ginny broke the embrace and turned to look at him instead.

"Teddy," she said with a smile that was clearly forced, and Ted could see the tears that shone through her eyes, "come over here. Don't stand there like a tree."

He complied immediately. As soon as he was within an arm's reach of her, she pulled him close for a hug. It had been a while since they shared this sort of intimacy, but he could feel that she needed it today. It made his heart jump a bit as he realised that she had not only worried about Jamie, but also about him during the last 24 hours. So despite the fact that the embrace was awkward, since he was now bigger than her and Jamie was eyeing them curiously from the side, they stayed like this for several moments. They didn't even move when Harry came stumbling through the floo. Teddy only let go when he felt Ginny relax in his arms.

The forced smile, a bit lighter this time, was back as she spoke again.

"Right, let's have some cocoa. I've made some pudding, you must be starving."

"Mum," Teddy was stopped in his step by James' voice, "I really want to have a shower and change. May I go and do that first?"

Ginny was startled by his request, or maybe she wasn't so much by his request but the reticent demeanour he displayed.

"Of course, honey. I'll make sure Ted leaves you some pudding." Ginny said with a forced twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. You'd better hurry before I've finished it." Teddy joked, but he received not even a twitch of the lip from the teenager.

The three adults watched the teenager walk up the stairs, waiting in silence until they heard the bathroom door echo shut.

"How is he really, Ted?" Ginny asked with a frown.

He shrugged in response.

"He seemed fine, but he's unusually quiet." Ted stocked for a second, his eyes flickering between his godparents, but then he continued avoiding looking either of them in the eye.

"He cried last night." The words escaped his lips barely louder than a whisper, but they echoed heavily across the silent room.

Unexpectedly Teddy felt a hand on his shoulder and looking up his eyes met Harry's.

"Let's go into the kitchen and have some hot chocolate. It will make us all feel better."

Teddy was halfway through his cup of hot chocolate and had just accepted a second helping of pudding when James entered the kitchen in a fresh set of clothes. His hair was still slightly wet, but the shower must have done him some good, because he plopped into the chair opposite his parents with a new air of ease.

The silence that had entered the room with Jamie threatened to linger and kick the atmosphere straight back to awkward.

"If you want some cocoa or pudding, you'll have to get up and get it yourself. And while you're at it, top up mine too will you." Ginny held out her empty cup for him to take and although startled by her characteristic frank remark, James quickly took it and stood to do as he was bid.

Teddy and Harry smirked at each other, and once Jamie sat back down, any lingering awkwardness was forgotten.

Ted stayed for a bit after that, listening to Jamie's repeated apologies and adding his own consoling words to his godparents'. When he finally made a move to leave, Ginny didn't let him off without some food for the week and the promise that they would see him at the Burrow on Sunday.

Although he had grown up with it, as he grew older Ted still occasionally marvelled at being mothered by the fiery red-head. He imagined that this would have been what his mother would have done, fitting him with parcels of food because she knew neither he nor Tory could cook, making his favourite dessert as comfort food, or offering to fix a button on his shirt that he hadn't even noticed had come loose.

With that thought Teddy followed his Harry to the door.

"Thank you for everything you've done for Jamie," his godfather said and Ted could read the sincerity in his eyes.

"It was nothing," Ted mumbled to the floor, "probably pay-back for all the crap I put you through at his age."

Harry smiled. "Almost Karma, isn't it?"

"The thought had occurred to me," he replied with a shrug.

"At this rate, I'll end up with grey hair before the last of you four has left this house," Harry mock complained and ruffled his godson's hair affectionately.

"Dad," Teddy whined with a mortification that in its intensity surprised himself.

"It's a long time you called me that," Harry remarked in amusement.

"Well," he replied ducking out of Harry's grasp, "it's a long time since you've done that to me."

"Maybe I should do this a bit more often then."

"Don't you dare."

Harry smiled at him fondly and nodded in acquiescence, his eyes still sparkling with amusement.

"I'll see you at work then."

"See you, Harry."

Ted gave his godfather a quick hug goodbye and then stepped out the door walking the few steps to get out of the wards. He grabbed his wand ready to leave and as the sound of his own apparation pulsed against his eardrums a thought entered his mind.

 _Family_ , he mused, _was a strange but wonderful thing._

* * *

 _AN: And that's a wrap. Thank you for reading this sequel to Teenage Rebellion. I hope you enjoyed it and would love your feedback, comments and criticism in the reviews. If you're interested in more, I post one-shots connected to this story-verse in the story titled 'Pieces of a Puzzle'. I also take requests for one-shots, so please do feel free to get in touch._

 _A big thank you goes to 4fan .ci for beta-reading._


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